


Playing to Your Strengths

by Yangs Sunglasses (Nilenium)



Category: Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu | Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Genre: Die Neue These, Episode 6, F/M, Gen, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-05-04 13:42:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14594271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nilenium/pseuds/Yangs%20Sunglasses
Summary: A different take on Yang and Frederica's visit to the Rosen Ritter HQ, in which they use brains and not brawn to deal with harrassment. DNT episode 6 alternate locker room scene.





	Playing to Your Strengths

Yang should have known that coming into the Rosen Ritter locker room with Sublieutenant Greenhill would lead to some kind of trouble. Now all the stares of men were on them, or rather just his adjutant. One of the soldiers, a veritable mountain of muscle, swaggered up to her.

“You're Admiral Greenhill's daughter? The rumours are true about your beauty.” He gave a nasty chuckle, the rest of the room following suit.

“They certainly are rude. Not even a salute,” the sublieutenant remarked to Yang quietly. He agreed, but decided to let the man's slimy comment slide. They were there for Schönkopf, not to conduct an inspection (though the Rosen Ritter's insubordination wasn't filling him with optimism at the moment). Thankfully, the sublieutenant could keep her cool just as well as Yang did.

“Uh... Actually we're here on urgent business,” he said, changing the topic. “We'd like you to introduce us to Captain Schönkopf.”

Despite Yang's usual mellow tone and straight posture, he couldn't stop himself from curling his hands, not quite making fists in response to the threatening vibe in the room. The Rosen Ritter didn't look particularly welcoming or willing to help them. And if Schönkopf was in the room, he was taking his sweet time in showing himself. It occurred to Yang that Schönkopf could be testing him as well. He'd had plenty enough time to be notified of their arrival and prepare this “hazing” strategy.

“I'd be glad to tell Sublieutenant Greenhill where he is.” The current Rosen Ritter spokesperson apparently wasn't finished harassing the only woman in the room as he put an arm around her shoulder with an uncomfortable familiarity.

“How about first you unhand the sublieutenant, then tell me your name and rank, spaceman?” Yang snapped out.

The man furrowed his brows, taken aback by Yang's commanding tone. But he let the sublieutenant go, which was the desired outcome. On the other hand his hostile attention was now focused solely on Yang.

“And what are you going to do if I tell you that, oh Hero of El Facil?” the Rosen Ritter asked derisively, sizing Yang up. It was obvious to everyone in the room that the rear admiral wouldn't last a minute if a fight broke out.

Yang gave an oblique smile, seemingly unaware of the difference in individual strength between them. “Ah, that's for you to guess and for me to know,” he responded enigmatically. “Your name and rank?” he asked again.

The man crossed his arms with a chuckle. “You can't make me tell you anything.”

“The admiral doesn't have to. You're Sergeant Holstein. Age 25, defected from the Empire three years ago. One commendation for bravery in battle,” Sublieutenant Greenhill cut in.

The man gaped. “How do you-?”

“I merely had a look at your file on the way here. All of your files,” she explained with a razor-sharp smile as she looked around the room. Even Yang was impressed by his adjutant's eidetic memory and he knew about it beforehand. She was already putting it to a good use. Greenhill continued mercilessly. “What's interesting, Sergeant, is that you were in an altercation with Corporal Jenkins of the Heinessen Defense Force a few months go.”

“What about it?” Holstein asked, clearly on the defensive.

“You stated that you got into that fight to defend a woman's honour from Corporal Jenkins' swine-like advances,” the sublieutenant quoted.

“Well, that sounds like you must have gone through quite a big change of character since then, Sergeant. Or did someone put you up to it?” Yang commented ironically.

“Uh...” Holstein turned to his comrades for help, but none were offering. The Rosen Ritter member was caught in the act and called out on it.

“Now that we're acquainted to each other, could you show us to Captain Schönkopf? We still have an urgent matter to speak to him about,” Yang said, feeling quite fed up with all this posturing.

A man separated from the group and walked to Yang and Greenhill. “You found us out, sir. Please forgive us this deception. I'm Captain Schönkopf,” he introduced himself smartly, snapping a salute. The Rosen Ritter ranks behind him followed.

Despite Schönkopf's respectful tone, his expression remained impudent, Yang noted dispassionately. This could only mean that the captain still wasn't done with the testing. They just passed the preliminary phase.

.

After finally obtaining the Rosen Ritter for the Iserlohn operation, Yang and Sublieutenant Greenhill headed back to the office.

“You handled yourself well back there,” Yang observed when they were in the automatic car. “Sorry I wasn't much help...” he added self-consciously.

His adjutant looked up from the holodisplay with a smile. “Thank you, sir, but you're wrong. If you weren't there, it wouldn't have ended so pretty.”

“What do you mean?”

Sublieutenant turned her gaze away bashfully.

“I was going to break Sergeant Holstein's arm, but you made him back off and concentrate on you. This gave me enough time to think how to use the information I had.”

“I see...” Yang turned this revelation over in his head. His new adjutant was surprising him at every turn and it took him a little to adjust. “Then I'm glad it didn't come to violence.”

“Me too, sir.”

They shared a smile over their first joint success. The rest of the ride was spent in a companionable silence. While Greenhill went through the paperwork, Yang looked out at the moving scenery and reflected. He was relieved they avoided causing any damage to the sergeant who was only play-acting on his superior's orders. Persuading Schönkopf to help them with Iserlohn after that would have been much harder. Fortunately, the sublieutenant's perfect memory proved to be the key to finding a non-violent way out of the Rosen Ritter's test.

In the end, refusing to play by the opponent's rules but instead playing to their own strengths was the most beneficial to Yang and his spirited adjutant.

And with that pleasant thought on his mind, the rear admiral rested his eyes by taking a short nap.

**Author's Note:**

> Some of the dialogue in the beginning is taken straight from the episode.
> 
> Holstein is a made up name, I don't know if that character has a canon name.
> 
> The "impudent expression" and Schönkopf testing Yang is inspired by the novel's description of their first meeting.
> 
> I hope I managed to put the Rosen Ritter in a better light than the episode did as well as highlight Frederica's greatest strength - her mind. Female character doesn't have to beat a man up to show she's a badass. Violence =/= strength.
> 
> Comments will be very appreciated :)


End file.
